Facilities with IoT technology for water know precisely how much water is being consumed at any time, day, week, and month.
Water Waste and How to Prevent It
New Stadium Is a Trailblazer When It Comes to Water
The new Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta has been referred to as a trailblazer for a number of reasons and one of them involves how they have managed to reduce water consumption. They are leading the way for large sports facilities around the world, showing them just how much can be done to use water more efficiently and responsibly.
Photo by Christopher Alvarenga on Unsplash
Among the several water-reducing strategies the stadium has implemented are the following:
Installing high-efficiency toilets that use less water than those required by government regulations;
Xeriscaping green space, including planting drought-resistant plants;
Selecting mechanicals, such as boilers and HVAC systems, which use water more efficiently than comparable systems; and
Installing a 680,000-gal cistern to collect rainwater, which then can be used for cooling the facility or irrigation.
Steps also were taken to address a water-related problem in west Atlanta, where Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located. Initiatives were employed to reduce water drainage, which historically contributed to flooding in the area.
“We did this for many reasons,” said Scott Jenkins, general manager of the stadium. “Paramount was our goal not only to be a good neighbor, but improve the quality of life for people living on the west side of Atlanta.”
While these water saving initiatives have helped reduce water consumption, the installation of waterless, otherwise known as no-water, urinals has proven to be one of the most effective water saving initiatives.
One traditional urinal can consume more than 35,000 gal of water per year. It is hard to count how many urinals are in the average sports venue in the U.S., much less determine how much water they consume because many stadiums use trough urinals. These urinals can accommodate three to six users at one time. Further, some stadiums have installed a combination of traditional urinals and trough systems. However, whatever the situation, the amount of water used can be millions of gallons. One of the most effective ways to reduce those numbers is to install no-water urinals.
Bigelow Tea Says Caring for Our Planet is the Right Thing to Do
Bigelow Tea is growing its efforts to be a “green” company and an environmentally responsible maker of specialty teas.
Family owned and based in Fairfield, Connecticut, Bigelow Tea is a supporting member of the Ethical Tea Partnership. This organization works with tea growers to establish best-practice methods for the responsible conservation of the world’s tea fields. The company produces 1.7 billion tea bags annually, yet is a Zero Waste to Landfill company, diverting 94 percent of its solid waste company wide, exceeding the official guideline of 90 percent.
“Eighty-five percent of our packaging is compostable, biodegradable or recyclable,” sys Cindi Bigelow, the third-generation president and CEO of the family-owned company. Her grandmother, Ruth Campbell Bigelow, started the company more than 70 years ago.
“Packaging innovations over the past years have allowed us to cut the weight of our outer boxes, saving 430,000 pounds of material per year, and shaving the thickness of our foil by 12 percent has saved 86,000 pounds per year. In addition, we have eliminated corrugated packaging completely on our shipments, and done away with pallet shrink-wrapping in favor of reusable rubber bands.”
Bigelow Tea also takes care to conserve resources, with rooftop solar generating up to 15 percent of the energy used by its Fairfield plant. Around its facilities, Bigelow has LED lighting to save energy, and in its men’s restrooms, waterless urinals.
They installed the no-water urinals, manufactured by Waterless Co, Inc., to showcase their water conservation efforts as well let building users and visitors know that each waterless system saves about 35,000 gallons per urinal per year.
At Bigelow, along with reducing waste, using recyclable packaging materials, and saving water, the company has taken many other steps to be greener and mores sustainable. This has helped them live up to the company’s mission statement, which reads:
“Do the right thing and good things will follow.
Caring for our planet, is the right thing to do.”
For more information on how to reduce water consumption, waterless urinals, and to use water more efficiently, contact a Waterless Co Specialist
The Sustainable Restroom
Washrooms are a vital part of our lives. But could they become more sustainable? Washroom hygiene companies give their views - and ECJ looks at the bigger picture.
Washrooms are a basic necessity of life. But from a sustainability point of view they can be extremely wasteful.
Around 30 per cent of the water we employ at home is used for flushing the toilet, which means the quantity of water used in public washrooms worldwide – where automatic flush systems are in place and where taps are often left to run unchecked – is incalculably huge.
Public toilets also require energy for heating, lighting and operating hand dryers. And washroom visitors are major consumers of paper in the form of toilet tissue and paper towels.
So, what are the sustainability issues that need to be addressed in the public washroom?
To read more on the Sustainable Washroom, on the European Cleaning Journal Website, click here.
Water Terms We Need to Know
No, Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is Not One of Them
As building managers begin to reduce their facility's water consumption and use water more efficiently, one of the first things they realize is that there are several terms and abbreviations used to describe water use.
Although these are not complicated words like hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, which refers to the fear of pronouncing long words, some water-related terms may put us in a quandary.
Here to rinse away this predicament is Klaus Reichardt, CEO of Waterless Co., manufacturers of waterless urinals. Reichardt defines for us some common water-usage terms and abbreviations we all should know:
Cubic Feet. The cubic feet of water, or Ccf, is a measurement of water. One Ccf is 7.48 gallons of water.
Water Friction. When water is traveling through pipes, friction can develop. Friction can slow the movement of water.
Photo by Luis Quintero
Water Flow. An easy one. This term refers to the amount of water coming out of a hose, pipe, or faucet.
Water Pressure. Water pressure is the amount of force needed to move water from one place to another. Water flow and water pressure are not the same.
Waterless Urinals. A urinal that uses no water at all.
GPM. Gallons of water per minute.
Leak Dial. A leak dial, also called a water movement indicator dial, is the dial on a water meter. It is called a leak dial because if all water-using appliances are turned off in a facility and the dial is still moving, it indicates there are water leaks in the facility.
Water Velocity. The speed at which water flows in a pipe; for instance, 100 gallons of water would flow much lower in a one-inch diameter pipe compared to a five-inch diameter pipe
Water Volume. Volume is found by multiplying length by width by depth. For example, if an Olympic-size pool is 164 feet by 82 feet by 6 feet, then the cubic feet of water in the pool equals 164 x 82 x 6, or 80688 cubic feet. Because one cubic foot of water is 7.48 gallons, the volume of water in the pool is more than 603,500 gallons of water.
High-Efficiency Toilet. These toilets use 30 percent less water per flush than a standard toilet.
Energy-Efficient Toilet. An energy-efficient toilet removes waste by water velocity instead of water volume, the amount and weight of the water.
"Adding to the confusion is that many times water meters and water bills use abbreviations and acronyms to describe water terms," says Reichardt. "If you don't know what a term means, call the utility. They are too important to not understand."
Healthcare is Going Waterless
Quietly, California Airports Are Reducing Water Consumption
With little fanfare, most airports in California have been taking significant steps to reduce their water consumption. While it can vary significantly, collectively airports use hundreds of millions of gallons of water every year. In California, this is no longer sustainable.
Realizing this, here are some of the steps California airports are taking to reduce consumption, which can help airports around the world:
San Jose International
· The green ivy bear, which has greeted visitors to San Jose for the past 12 years, appears to be doing fine sipping recycled water from the airport's irrigation system.
· Windows are no longer pressure-washed clean. Instead, they are cleaned by hand using recycled water, resulting in a dramatic reduction in water consumption.
San Diego International
· This airport found an untapped source of water: the water created by air conditioning condensation. The airport is now capturing this water and reusing it for irrigation and other purposes. In one year, they collected more than 5,000 gallons of water, and the airport believes it will collect as much as 840,000 gallons annually in the coming years.
San Francisco International
· This airport traditionally greeted new carriers and new flights with water cannon salutes. Typically, this happened once per month and used as much as 4,000 gallons of water per event. This practice has been discontinued not only at San Francisco International, but Los Angeles International and the Bob Hope Airport.
Palm Springs International
· Waterless urinals have been installed. The airport reports they are saving 44,000 gallons of water per urinal per year.
Virtually All State Airports
· Most all California airports have now installed low-flow washroom fixtures.
· Synthetic turf is replacing grass lawns.
· Many rental companies are now using as much as 90 percent recycled water to wash cars.
"Something we often overlook is that the other side of water challenges is innovation," adds Klaus Reichardt, CEO, and President of Waterless Co. "We can expect more innovation and new ideas in the future, all tailored to help us use water more responsibly and efficiently."
What is a Water Footprint?
The Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management Toolbox
The Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management Toolbox (SSWM) is essentially an online library providing advice on how to handle many different types of sanitation and water-related problems, especially for third-world and developing countries.
In May 2019, they published a study, produced by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, essentially covering the advantages and disadvantages of waterless urinals. Introducing their report, they said very simply that:
A urinal is used only for collecting urine. Urinals are generally for men, although models for women have also been developed. Most urinals use water for flushing, but waterless urinals are becoming increasingly popular. This is the reason for our investigation.
With that, we report their findings:
The advantages of installing waterless urinals
Waterless urinals do not require a constant source of water
Can be built and repaired with locally available materials
Low capital and operating costs
Waterless urinals produce fewer odors than urinals with water flush and also have no problems with urinal cakes (odor and urinal cakes occur when urine is mixed with water)
Waterless urinals contribute to water saving at the highest possible degree
Waterless urinals allow the pure and undiluted collection of urine for reuse, e.g., as fertilizer in urban farming
Disadvantages of installing waterless urinals
In case of replacement of the odor trap seal, the maintenance staff needs to be instructed on how to replace the seal when necessary and how to wash the fixture. However, no skilled personnel are required
The use of microbial blocks may cause pollution problems in case of reuse of urine in agriculture and is therefore not recommended
Problems with odors may occur if not used and maintained correctly
Models for women are not widely available
While none of our other blogs discuss no-water urinals for women, many of them do discuss the importance of proper custodial training on how to clean and maintain no-water urinals. This appears to be an ongoing problem but in reality it can be handled so easily. Some cleaning solutions need only to be sprayed on the waterless urinals. The solution dissolves soils and contaminants, no wiping or scrubbing is necessary. The process helps keep both the waterless urinals and the entire restroom fresh, clean, and odor-free.
The Waterless Co blog is where building owners and managers find expert, practical advice on ways to reduce water consumption and to help use water more efficiently. Our goal is to protect our most valuable natural resources, help facilities reduce their water consumption and water-related costs, and operate in a more environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. For more information, contact us at 1-800-244-6264
